STEM   

Explore the biology behind common diseases affecting our community, such as COPD, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and much more. This study group will cover the underlying biological mechanisms, current treatment strategies, and how those treatments work at the molecular level. We’ll blend short lectures with discussion-based learning. No prior scientific background is needed. Readings and visual materials will be provided; no additional purchases required. Perfect for curious minds eager to understand how science shapes medicine.

Jennifer Lee is a medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School with a background as a 9th grade biology teacher. She is passionate about the intersection of biology and medicine, and believes empowering people to better understand their health is essential to improving care and outcomes.

The 3 1/2 pounds of tofu inside your head is the most complex and mysterious mechanism known, even the most basic understanding of brain function is only about 100 years old. This will be an interactive class (lecture with lots of illustrations and discussion) and we’ll cover topics on how neurons work and connect with each other, how the brain is organized, and recent advances in the science of brain function. To date, the science is consistent with physics, chemistry and biology being the only mechanisms (no magic needed).

Charlie Taylor is a retired research scientist from Pfizer drug discovery in Ann Arbor. He earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience, studying the biology of insect vision. He has taught similar classes for Chelsea Adult Learners since 2008.

Nuclear physics is the study of the atomic nucleus and its constituents - the fundamental particles and their interactions. It is the iconic example of science that can be used for good or ill. It brought us atomic and hydrogen bombs, but also life-saving medical radiation imaging and treatments, near-zero carbon-emission power plants, and the prospect of controlling nuclear fusion to produce almost limitless clean energy.

In this course, based on a Great Courses lecture series (see bit.ly/NucPhys for a course description), we will watch and discuss two half-hour lectures each session. The first part of the course will discuss the physics of the nucleus; the second part, applications to medicine, energy, and archaeological dating. While some technical background may be helpful in the first part, it is not necessary, and the instructor will endeavor to explain further any unfamiliar concepts.

Craig Stephan, Ph.D. is a retired physicist from Ford Motor Co. and Argonne National Lab. He has led many previous science-oriented OLLI study groups including Cosmology, The Higgs Boson, Astrophysics, and The Science of Climate Change.

The course is based on a Great Course’s set of video lectures titled, Black Holes, Tides, and Curved Spacetime: Understanding Gravity, taught by Professor Benjamin Schumacher, whose course on information science we recently presented. We typically view two lectures per session with time for discussion after each lecture. Brief summaries of the lectures will be provided on a PDF file. When we’ve finished viewing and discussing the 24 Great Courses videos, we will briefly explore new efforts to relate gravity to entropy.

Dick Chase has a PhD in Condensed Matter Physics and worked for 27 years in the Scientific Research Lab of Ford Motor Company. He has been hosting science-related classes for OLLI since 2013.